Moral Licensing

Why do good deeds sometimes make us more willing to behave badly?

A person volunteers for charity, then feels justified in acting selfishly. A company celebrates its environmental commitments while quietly resisting meaningful change. Someone who considers themselves deeply ethical excuses behaviour they would condemn in others.

Moral Licensing explores the surprising psychological mechanisms that allow past good behaviour to become justification for future moral compromises.

Drawing on behavioural research and examples from everyday life, business, politics, and social relationships, this book examines how people construct moral identities, rationalise contradictions, and maintain positive self-images even when their actions conflict with their values.

An insightful examination of the uncomfortable gap between being a good person and consistently doing the right thing.